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She is one of the faces of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Minima Gesté, a drag queen known offstage as Arthur Raynaud, is committed to fighting for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and against HIV/AIDS. She will have the honor of carrying the Olympic flame in Paris on July 14. We caught up with her.
How did you come to be a torchbearer?
I woke up one morning to a message on my Instagram from Anne Hidalgo. She wanted a drag queen to carry the Olympic flame, and I was chosen because of my various political and associative commitments.
What was your reaction when you found out you'd been selected?
I was so happy! I remember it perfectly: I was in a hotel room, just before starting a booking, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm really proud of it, and I told myself I was going to do it for three reasons. Firstly, for the representation, because I think it's a very strong message for the LGBTQIA+ community that a drag queen is carrying the Olympic flame. Secondly, I knew that it would annoy some people, that it would provoke an outcry.
Perhaps my expectations weren't high, but I was aware that it would generate buzz, aligning with our role as drag performers to challenge the status quo. And finally, even if, above all, we do drag for others, there's also a form of ego involved. I know this opportunity will never come around again, so I couldn't let it pass.
It's an enormous source of pride.
drag queen and Olympic torchbearer
Did you feel a little apprehensive?
No, I didn't hesitate at any point, because I understood very quickly why I wanted to do it, and for me, that was the most important thing. Afterwards, I didn't expect there to be so much controversy, I didn't realize how much some people are against a drag queen carrying the Olympic flame. Unfortunately, I realized this very quickly after my participation was announced on the Paris Ma Ville Instagram account. All that crass violence gave me even more reason to do it!
In the midst of this wave of hate and abuse, you have also received an enormous amount of support. How did you deal with it?
It was very powerful! Very quickly, I was overwhelmed by messages of both hatred and support. Fortunately, I was very well supported by my friends and family, who helped me keep my feet on the ground. And above all, I've kept working, because answering haters isn't what pays my rent! Of course there are people who are against it, but I do drag above all for my community and its allies.
Speaking of which, as a committed and militant drag queen, how do you manage to continue defending an educational discourse, even in the face of people who are not receptive to it?
I don't try to talk to the people who are against me head-on, those whose opinions I know are already formed - in other words, all the people who send me horrible messages on social media. Aside from that, my commitment to pedagogy and education remains steadfast. It's through visibility that I can show people what drag is and get them interested.
It's through visibility that I can show people what drag is all about.
DRAG QUEEN AND OLYMPIC TORCHBEARER
By the way, what would you say to people who are completely unfamiliar with drag culture and don't understand why it's important for a drag queen to carry the Olympic flame in 2024?
I read a lot of comments saying that it's a disgrace, that there are many more deserving athletes to carry it. It's important to remember that the Olympic flame isn't just carried by athletes! It aims to unite all who are inspired by the values of Olympism, embodying unity, strength, and courage. The individual handing me the torch could be the local baker, the neighborhood garbage collector, or a renowned actor. You have to represent everyone, and I'm entitled to that visibility!
You've been living in Paris for years, but you're originally from Toulouse. What is your relationship with Paris?
I left Toulouse at 19 to study engineering in Grenoble, then moved to Paris in 2005 for work. As soon as I set foot in this city, I said to myself: "This is where I want to be. I was made to be here". Paris created who I am. It forged Minima, since she was born here two years after arriving, and it also built Arthur. I owe a lot to Paris; it's a city I love enormously, not least for all the freedom it has given me to express myself.
I owe a lot to Paris. It's a city I love enormously, not least for all the freedom it has given me to express myself.
DRAG QUEEN AND OLYMPIC TORCHBEARER
Apart from July 14th, when we'll be able to admire you more flamboyantly than ever, where will we be seeing you next?
You can see me every weekend in different places. I host music quizzes at the La Birreria bar (13th arrondissement). On Sundays, I also perform in the Wanted restaurant (19th), during drag brunches called The brunch and Queen. And finally, to end the week and the weekend on a high note, on Sunday evenings I host drag bingos at La Folie (19th).
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